End With a Bang

The first half of season 3 Fear the Walked Dead ended the same way it came in, with a nice double feature. It’s been a help to our struggling opinions of the show. The first two seasons left John & I to wonder if we even wanted to continue watching. But season 3 has brought some interesting characters and some unexpected plots. What it hasn’t done — is made us care.

Right now I care more about Walker’s community than any character or group we’ve seen to date. But these people will not get to be the show’s front-liners. Basically, we are still stuck with Madison’s clan.

I do feel that the actors have clearly become more comfortable with each other and their roles, so it hasn’t been as boring as our initial thoughts. And this mid-season finale ended in such a way that I do wonder how thing will progress.

Ok here we go… A lot happened!!

The First Humans

Picking up right where the last episode ended, we find Alicia catching up with Jake. Of course, he tries to convince her to turn around. And she informs him that “Walker killed” the Trimbols. Instead of heeding that as warning, Jake declares that it’s an even bigger reason to go see Walker. Alicia insists on going with him.

They are allowed to walk right into Walker’s camp, but their weapons are confiscated. Walker appears startlingly, carrying a freshly severed hog head.

Quote of the season

“You’re 200 years late for peace Jake but you’re just in time for lunch.” -Qaletqa Walker

Alicia confronts Walker about the Trimbols but Walker seems baffled at the accusations. Taqa remains steadfast to Otto’s people leaving the ranch but, does consider the offer of parley to negotiate and spare lives and agrees to discuss terms after lunch.

Where’s Ofelia?

The moment we waited all season for, all the build up, finally the question everyone has been asking gets

The moment we waited all season for, all the build up, finally the question everyone has been asking — Where is Ofelia?. Alicia is the first of the Clark’s to come face to face with Ofelia. She’s been found and nursed back to health by Walker. And now she is serving lunch to these three seeking a resolution to the conflict between them.

After lunch, Alicia gets her chance to confront Ofelia for taking off with the truck and setting out on her own. Believing Walker responsible for the deaths of the Trimbols, she questions Ofelia’s loyalty to Walker’s people. But Ofelia tells Alicia that Walker was with her at the time the murders happened.

Then Jake comes out to tell Alicia to go tell his father about the terms of parley but, she knows that it needs to come from him, so she makes him go instead. Qaltega sends Ofelia with Jake.

Back at the ranch

Nick ends up volunteering to join Troy’s militia after realizing that Alicia has gone off with Jake. Troy seems skeptical of Nick’s actions; it’s implied as to whether Nick knows the truth about the Trimbols. Nick throws a glance Troy’s way with his reply that he only wants to protect them from those who killed the Trimbols.

It’s not clear why it should be significant, but they really focus on Nick cutting off his hair. I for one am liking him better already. Madison is worried and asks Nick if he’s going to be able to stand with Troy when the battle comes. He’s smart enough to keep his enemies close.

Jake and Ofelia arrive at the ranch, met by Madison and Nick. Madison is distraught over Alicia having been left with Walker and surprised to see Ofelia. Not surprising — she doesn’t try to pass off the lie about Walker killing the Trimbols to Ofelia. Why are two nobody’s in the camp always waiting to meet people at the gate?

The terms of the parley begin with sharing water supplies from the ranch. Jeremiah states that they’ll only end up asking for more and Madison barges in, emotional over Alicia. There’s no rest or comfort of her daughter’s safety in Jeremiah’s words.

Let’s Blow This Story Line Where it Almost Makes Sense – We need drama…

Jeremiah goes to visit Ofelia in the bunker, where she is being held. Apparently, these two have met, but the scene is vague yet, allows him to feels he’s established control over her.

The whole thing seems forced just to push the story line and it’s annoying… But Madison goes to Troy begging him to head to Walker’s place to get Alicia out of there. So of course, Troy’s a good little soldier and is going to do what mommy says.

Alicia gets to know Walker a bit and just as she seems to be finding some admiration for him, he shows her the helicopter. He isn’t remorseful; instead, he asks her to feel her hatred of him and maybe understand what he feels for the Ottos.

“You’re just a hypocrite, playing a noble Native American.” – Alicia Clark

The Unveiling

Walker takes Alicia into a trailer used as a reliquary, filled with circus attractions and skeletal remains of his ancestors, dug up to save them from the Otto’s. He offers her an understanding of the word apocalypse as The Great Unveiling. And he explains the prophecies he’s uncovered — outlining the return of the lands to the first humans.

As bizarre luck would have it, Alicia, a hostage is out wandering the Black Hat, with a guard semi-paying attention. She’s grabbed by Troy. He shoots the one guard hanging about, But the noise has brought more people out, one of which pins Nick to the ground with a knife and now there’s gunfire. Leaving several of Walker’s men dead.

Jake and Jeremiah are waiting for them back at the ranch. They’ve ruined any possible peaceful resolution. And Jeremiah basically admits to Madison that it was probably easy to talk Troy into the mission because it would give Troy an opportunity to kill people.

Fair Warning

Jake and Ofelia head back to the Black Hat. Walker jumps Jake immediately and splits Jake’s scalp open and is about to finish the job when he is stopped in his tracks on Ofelia’s word. Jake is sent back with a message. Walker intends to finish Jake’s scalping in front of his father, cut Troy to pieces and feed him to the hogs, and finish it all by burning Jeremiah to death.

The man stops cold on one word from Ofelia… makes ya wonder how much is between them.

Let’s have some more lame story line…

Ofelia is taken back to the ranch with bruises all over her face. Why not make her walk away? Why not kill her? Are we actually expected to believe this is the result of disrespecting Walker? I spy with my little eye… a spy.

Despite Madison’s hesitations toward Ofelia, just one day before, Madison takes Ofelia on at the Ranch like everything is A-OK! And she unknowingly provides her opportunity to poison the ranch’s militia. Yeah, ok… sure.

Let’s put that aside for a moment and contemplate on this ‘flash back’ scene of Jeremiah finding Ofelia out in the desert.

So Jeremiah finds her and brings her up to the road by his truck, gives her a sip of water and leaves her there after some racial remarks. I get it, the producers want us to see that he’s a shitty person and why she won’t consider siding with the Otto’s. But seriously, this non-sensical scene is why I roll my eyes about Fear the Walking Dead.

This scene is also an opportunity to see Ruben Blades again, which I liked a lot. I like her story of survival in the desert. And Walker finding her.

It’s Ofelia – Captain Obvious

Nick sees Ofelia running from the ranch and Madison takes off after her. She drags Ofelia from a truck and beats the snot out of her. Probably the first real passionate moment from Madison to date.

Meanwhile, the bodies are piling up and the med tent is overflowing, including Nick. Shall I point out that Madison demanded Nick be kept on antibiotics – for poison? Again with the lame writing shit.

Madison forces Ofelia back to the Black Hat and demands an audience from Walker to find out what was the powder Ofelia was to put in the coffee. Anthrax.

Walker is impressed by Madison’s strength. (LOL) He lets her go but warns that she needs to get her family off the ranch or they will all die.

Strand Finds the Abigail

Strand kills a bunch of walkers, gets drunk, talks to someone from a satellite with his short wave radio. (really. yes really.) Then, he sets the boat on fire. This did absolutely nothing to advance the story line. It was just a time filler. And I don’t really care about Strand. Come on…

You Don’t Run the Ranch Madison! – Jake Otto

Jake is talking to Troy about gathering the militia and do something. Of course, Madison needs to butt in. But Jake tells her point blank — You don’t run the ranch! He needs to be strong at this time and not have his people see him struggle.

Back at the Black Hat, Ofelia expresses her disappointment that Walker would turn her into a killer. Ofelia’s debt for her life is paid.

Troy Does Something

I don’t think it’s what Jake had in mind, but Troy and Madison lead the militia to the Black Hat and set their homes on fire and there’s gunfire. Madison, Troy, and Alicia get away, stealing Walker’s reliquary.

After convincing Jake to let him out of his bed, Nick goes to the adobe house and digs up the floor where Jeremiah blew holes in a drunken rage a few days prior. He finds buried down in the dirt below a skull and takes it to confront Jeremiah. Jeremiah tells him that it’s Walker’s father and how the founding four came to lead after that. It seems that Nick switches sides at this point.

“It’s their land.” – Nick Clark

In the Clark House

Nick tells Alicia and Madison the truth of Jeremiah’s actions. Then everything comes out about Troy’s murder of the Trimbols and Madison’s role in hiding it. Alicia calls her mother heartless.

The next day

Madison goes out with Jake to meet Walker. She hands Walker his father’s skull but, he rejects it. She reports that there’s no agreement to be had.

and then the confession comes… Apparently, she shot her father to defend her mother.

The time of the story coming forward and the weird dramatics of it… ugh. I think I get that they wanted to portrait; it was just poorly executed.

What’s in the bag??

Madison goes to Jeremiah with another confession. She was able to come to an agreement with Walker. Walker wants Jeremiah’s head. She tries to convince Jeremiah to do the right thing and do it himself. But he’s full of pride and arrogance so he says no. Nick walks in and doesn’t hesitate to put a bullet in Jeremiah’s head.

Troy and Jake walk in a moment after Nick slips out.

It’s all a little confusing because we see Troy and Jake hauling Jeremiah’s body off… Was there a head? I thought I saw a head on the body. Maybe that calls for a rewatch. But the next thing we see is the people of the ranch, Otto boys included, standing behind Madison as she hands a bag to Walker. In it, Jeremiah’s head.

I love this show!! I’m tired of TWD so I’m happy to have this show, I really like Kim Dickens and Frank Dillane. I like the location and the beginning of the Zombie Apocalypse ! I didn’t like the way TWD toyed with us in the last finale !! The Glen story was irratating enough

Omg! They sure did mess with us on Glenn! Plating with out emotions. Negan in general is an irritant! I’ve really struggled to get into Fear with its slow start, but these last few episodes have really advanced in interesting story line very well. Frank is awesome. And Jim makes me insane! But I’m still hooked. The trailer was just released for twd s8 & fear 3.5, we tweeted the li ks yesterday if you havent seen them. FEAR looks like it’s going to be great. Thanks for reading!